Two arrested over deaths after two ships collide in Baltic Sea

Two people have been arrested over the suspected deaths of crew members after an Inverness-registered vessel collided with another cargo ship in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden.

The Swedish Maritime Administration said a rescue operation was launched after a Danish-flagged cargo ship capsized following a collision with the MV Scot Carrier, which sails under the UK flag.

Around 3pm on Monday, the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) confirmed that a body had been found on the Karin Hoej, while another person remains missing at sea.

The Swedish Prosecution Service (SPS) said two people, a British and a Croatian citizen, have been arrested on potential charges of causing the death of another person, gross negligence in maritime traffic and “gross sea drunkenness”.

The SPS confirmed the cause of the collision is unclear, and prosecutors are in the early stages of their investigation into what happened.

The Danish cargo ship capsized after the incident which prompted a major rescue mission, including a helicopter and ships.

Earlier today, a spokesman for SMA told the BBC that screams had been heard from the water after the collision.

“It is very cold and dark,” Jonas Franzen said. “The water is about 4C (39F) and the air is about 5C (41F).”

Nobody on board the Scot Carrier is thought to have been injured in the incident. It was en route to Montrose on Scotland’s north-east coast, while the Karin Hoej had left Sodertalje in Sweden for Nykoebing Falster in Denmark.

A spokesperson for Scotline, the owners of Scot Carrier, confirmed the shipping company has “an interest” on the ship, but refused to comment while an investigation into the collision is ongoing.

“The master, ship, crew and company are assisting and fully complying with local authorities as required,” the spokesperson added.